Subordinating conjunctions turn a sentence: Cats make me sneeze. into a non-sentence: it’s like magic!
When cats make me sneeze.
or
Because cats make me sneeze.
or
If cats make me sneeze.
or
As long as cats make me sneeze.
or
Although cats make me sneeze.
NONE of these are proper sentences. It’s like those annoying people who tell you the start of a joke but don’t tell you the punchline.
Annoying Person ‘What’s brown and sticky?’
Other Person ‘I don’t know. What is brown and sticky?’
Annoying Person ‘I’m not going to tell you!’
Other Person ‘!@?#!?#!’
There are more of these magical words. Some of the most common are: after, as, as long as, because, before, since, so that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, while. Phew!
Use these words to add excitement to your sentences, and don’t forget the comma:
When cats make me sneeze, tears stream down my face.
or
Because cats make me sneeze, I always carry a can of cat-repellant.
or
If cats make me sneeze, I curse them, vigorously.
or
As long as cats make me sneeze, I will never be able to visit my beloved Aunt, Mad Cat Harriet.
or
Although cats make me sneeze, I can easily solve the problem by wearing goggles and stuffing cotton wool balls up my nose.
Now practise your own with this amazing fun exercise:
If I won a million pounds, I would…
Because I have amazing ninja skills, I…
As soon as I’m grown up, I will…
When my enemies (or friends) annoy me, I …
After aliens enslaved the earth, …
Answer to Joke (What’s brown and sticky?): A stick.